Belle Pente Vineyard & Winery

Description:
Belle Pente Vineyard is located on a historic 70 acre farm 2 miles east of the town of Carlton. The second wine released from this young vineyard (our 1998 Estate Reserve Pinot Noir) was selected among the top Oregon wines of the vintage by the Wine Spectator, Steve Tanzer (International Wine Cellar), and Clive Coates (The Vine). The vineyard is tended by Marcial Gonzales, assisted by Eliseo Flores & Diego Bermudes.

Year Planted:
1994-1999

Characteristics:
The vineyard rises from 250 to 500 feet in elevation. The site is an elongated, convex ridge running from north to south. 20% of the exposure is south-east, 30% south, and 50% south west.. The soils are "classic" WIllakenzie silty clay loams at a depth of 18-36 inches over marine sandstone. The underlying geology is the Spencer formation dating from the Eocene era (40 million years old).

Philosophy:
All of the vineyard blocks have been farmed organically since 2000, and biodynamic techniques were adopted starting in 2005. We do not irrigate the vineyard, and work to continuously reduce the use of off-farms inputs.

Profile:
Flavors and aromas range from small, dark red fruit like black raspberries and cranberries to dark fruits like blackberries, wild black cherries, and black currants. Herbal notes of anise, lavendar, and rosemary add complexity, and some blocks show a distinctive spicy character. Texturally, there is a fine balance of acid and tannins that make the wines rich and mouthfilling but also fresh and focused.

Varieties Planted:
Pinot Noir , Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gamay Noir

Acreage Planted:
16

Vineyards Purchased From:
100% of the production from Belle Pente Vineyard is Estate Bottled by our on-site winery